Who Is Virandeep Singh? Only Associate Nation Cricketer From Malaysia To Be Part Of IPL 2026 Auction

Virandeep Singh: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) made a late update to the Indian Premier League 2026 auction roster on Tuesday, adding nine more names to the Player List ahead of the December 16 event. The initial list featured 350 cricketers, but the revised count has now increased to 359.

Among the fresh additions is Malaysian talent Virandeep Singh, the only player from an Associate cricketing nation included in this year's auction. His inclusion adds an interesting dynamic to the final pool, which saw 1,390 players register before the shortlist was trimmed down to 359.

Teams will bid for 77 total slots, including 31 reserved for overseas cricketers. The top bracket remains at ₹2 crore, with 40 players opting for that maximum base price.

Joining Virandeep on the updated list are Indian domestic names such as Tripura all-rounder Manisankar Murasingh, ex-Royal Challengers Bengaluru batter Swastik Chikara, Hyderabad pacer Chama Milind, Karnataka's wicketkeeper-batter K.L. Shrijith, Uttarakhand cricketer Rahul Raj Namala, and Jharkhand's Virat Singh. Two foreign recruits - South Africa's Ethan Bosch and Australian spinner Chris Green - also feature among the late entries.

However, the spotlight remains firmly on Virandeep Singh, whose base price is set at ₹30 lakhs. A right-hand batter and a slow left-arm orthodox bowler, the 26-year-old is considered a cornerstone of Malaysian cricket. Since making his T20I debut in 2019, he has amassed an impressive 3,115 runs from 108 matches, becoming Malaysia's leading run-scorer and the only player from the country to cross the 3,000-run milestone. His career-best score - an unbeaten 116 - came against Indonesia in 2023.

Virandeep is equally impactful with the ball, having taken 108 wickets in T20Is, including a standout figure of 4/5 against Mongolia in 2024. Remarkably, he holds the record for the most Player of the Match awards in T20Is - surpassing global superstars like Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav.

Beyond Malaysia, he has been part of franchise leagues such as ILT20 (Sharjah Warriors) and Global T20 Canada (Surrey Jaguars). He has also represented Chitwan Tigers in Nepal's Everest Premier League.

Born into a cricketing family, Virandeep's elder brother Pavandeep Singh also represents Malaysia. Virandeep's rise includes captaining his national side at just 20 years and 190 days, making him the youngest male cricketer to lead a T20I team.

Now, as he steps into the high-stakes IPL auction arena, all eyes will be on whether franchises take a chance on this history-making Associate nation trailblazer.